A former nun who lives in New Orleans has jumped into the dating pool during the height of the pandemic. Alison McCrary said it was the hardest decision she has ever made, but is following her heart to find love after being a nun. "We're supposed to feel emotions. We're supposed to have attraction, and we do," McCrary said. "For me, it was about God wanting all of us to live in total freedom and total love."McCrary had been living as a Catholic nun for 12 years. Now 38, she said she started feeling the need for a romantic relationship. "Something needed to change so I can enter into the period of grace and have different needs met for intimacy and love in my life," McCrary said. She went on an eight-day silent retreat with her spiritual mentor, praying to God for an answer. "I felt like I asked God for clarity, and I felt like God said, 'Go' and that was the word," McCrary said. "Go, and I will go with you."With peace about her life-changing decision, she asked for a dispensation of her vows. It was approved in August during the peak of the pandemic. She then joined a dating app. McCrary said most of her dates have been virtual. "Dating around really looks like sitting in front of a cell phone doing video chats in a recliner by yourself," McCrary said. She has had a few in-person dates, going for walks on the beach and kayaking with masks on. "I've found it very interesting, even during pandemic," McCrary said. While modern technology is helping her meet a lot of people, she has faith that divine intervention will align her with her soulmate.